Humza Yousaf’s popularity has plunged with both SNP supporters and the public, new polling shows.
In a blow to the Scottish First Minister, the survey by Norstat found just 29% of SNP voters said he is doing a good job compared with 36% who said he is doing badly giving him a net score of minus seven.
It marks a major drop since January when he had a net rating of 14 and comes after a furore over controversial new hate crime laws.
Among the general public in Scotland, Mr Yousaf’s net popularity score is down 15 points to minus 32.
Sir John Curtice, the polling guru and professor of politics at Strathclyde University, told the Sunday Times the polling shows the SNP leader “is deeply and increasingly unpopular”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sawar has a net rating of minus 17, while Scottish Tory leader Douglass Ross was on minus 38.
The poll of 1,086 people aged 16 or over in Scotland found the SNP is neck and neck with Labour on 32% when it comes to Westminster voting intention.
It is the lowest score the nationalists have recorded with the polling company since the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
The Tories are on 16%, the Lib Dems pick up 9%, while Nigel Farage-linked Reform UK is on 5%.
The pro-nationalist vote risks being split with the Greens backed by 4% and Alex Salmond’s Alba Party taking 2%.
Support among Scots for breaking away from the UK stands at 47% when undecided voters are excluded, compared with 53% backing the Union in the survey carried out between April 9 and 12.